The invention relates to a window which can be fastened in a folding top by way of a zipper and to a process for exchanging a surface section.
An edge strip is applied by gluing and/or sewing to the window in a known manner and consisting of a flexible plastic material. On the edge strip, in turn,--if necessary, with the insertion of a fastening strip--the edge of the window opening of the top covering is fastened by a glued connection. However, not only is the establishment of this glued connection cumbersome and time-consuming, but when an exchange is required of a plastic window having scratches or similar damage, the glued connection must be opened up in a very time-consuming manner.
It is therefore an object of the invention, in the case of a window that can be fastened to the covering of a folding top, to construct the edge strip such that it can rapidly, easily and as often as desired be connected with the edge of the window opening of the top covering. In addition, a process is provided for establishing a detachable connection of a surface section, particularly a window, with the covering of the folding top.
For achieving this object, the present invention provides a U-shaped edge bordering which sealingly rests against the edge of the window opening of the top covering and a process for exchanging a surface section such that, when the folding top is almost completely folded open, a new surface section, which has the U-shaped edge bordering, is arranged on the inside of the surface to be exchanged, and the holding strip of the first part of the zipper is fastened to the fastening strip, the surface section to be exchanged is removed from the edge area of the covering, the edge of the covering is inserted into the U-shaped edge bordering.
Since the edge strip according to the invention is designed as a U-shaped edge bordering, for the receiving of the edge of the window opening of the top covering, only the exterior leg of the U-shaped edge bordering must be bent slightly toward the outside and the covering must be inserted into it, in which case the edge bordering will finally rest watertightly against the top covering because of the internal tension of its rubber-elastic material. This can not only be carried out rapidly and with comparatively low expenditures but can advantageously also be repeated as often as desired--thus during each required exchanging of a window--in which case the interacting parts are also not damaged.
Expediently, the U-shaped edge bordering consists of a rubber-elastic material, the interior leg carrying a sealing tape with a double-sided adhesive layer and resting against the top covering. The exterior side of the adhesive layer is covered by a paper strip which is pulled off before the top covering is inserted into the U-shaped edge bordering. By virtue of the sealing strip, the zipper is covered and, in addition, the sealing effect of the U-shaped edge bordering is increased.
The two legs of the U-shaped edge bordering extend in a slanted manner in the direction toward their free ends, the exterior leg being shorter than the interior leg. After the arranging of the top covering in the U-shaped edge bordering, as a result, an oblique plane is formed in its cross-section which extends to its exterior leg and by way of which a good running-off of the water is ensured on the edge area of the window opening of the top covering.
In the case of a rectangular rear window which is fastened according to the invention, the end sections of the zipper which face one another are penetrated by a U-shaped securing clamp, the end sections of the legs of the securing clamp resting, in a bent-away manner, against a counterplate on the interior side of the vehicle. As a result, an unauthorized removal of the rear window by way of the zipper is made considerably more difficult.
Although a method is known from the German Patent Document DE-OS 37 19 429 for exchanging of a flexible window or the like of a folding top, the new window must be sewn into the top covering which is not only very time-consuming but must normally also be carried out by an expert. In contrast, according to the present invention, a surface section, particularly a flexible rear window, provided with a zipper and a U-shaped edge bordering can be exchanged very rapidly and easily for a surface section connected with the top covering by means of sewing or the like. For this purpose, the widened holding strip of the first part of the zipper is only glued precisely to an existing interior fastening strip of the top covering and then the surface section to be exchanged is removed by the cutting-open of the sewed seam. Finally, the edge of the top covering is inserted into the U-shaped edge bordering. A window or similar surface section which is inserted by a zipper into a top covering in this manner can naturally also be replaced several times.